Sourcing paper party hats from China

Paper party hats and UK duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 7 October 2026, heading 9505 covers festive, carnival and other entertainment articles. Its Chinese-origin duty ranges from 0% to 2%, but the relevant non-glass Christmas and other festive lines both carry 2%. No anti-dumping or countervailing measures or suspensions are recorded. The table repeats codes for hat variants; these are not separate tariff lines.

The tariff attaches cat and dog fur import and export controls, and a cultural-goods export licence measure. Cat and dog fur and products made from it are banned from import and export. The other festive line also attaches a fluorinated greenhouse gas import control. For paper hats from China, ask your customs broker to confirm the applicable declarations and requirements; do not assume every heading-wide measure applies to the hat.

Confirm the commodity code using photographs, materials and intended use, especially for Christmas designs. See the paper party confetti guide for the wider heading.

Specify the paper, fit and fastening

Specify cone or crown construction, finished dimensions, paper grade and weight, print colours, coatings, seam overlap and fastening method. Agree whether hats arrive assembled, nested or flat. Approve an assembled sample as well as the artwork: a print proof cannot show whether the hat fits or the seam holds.

For consumer hats supplied in Great Britain, general product safety rules provide the baseline where specific safety provisions do not apply. Have the intended use assessed before production, including whether a children's play design needs toy assessment. Agree checks for elastic attachments, exposed staples, detachable decorations and colour transfer with your testing and certification adviser.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 5,000 paper party hats, illustrative order under 9505 90 00 00, invoiced at £5,000 free on board, with £700 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,700. Duty at 2% is £114. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,814, so it is £1,162.80. Import taxes total £1,276.80; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £114 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Assembly: open crowns and form cones against the approved sample; check seams, tabs and glued overlaps for tearing or separation.

Fastenings: check elastic attachment, loose decorations and exposed staple ends; try the agreed fit without stretching the paper out of shape.

Print: compare colour and artwork placement with the approved sample; rub printed surfaces to check smearing and transfer.

Arrival: inspect for dampness, crushed cones and sticking nested hats; verify pack contents against carton labels. Use the inspection guide to agree the checks.

What goes wrong

Thinner substituted paper tears at elastic holes, cone seams spring open and folded crowns split when opened. Print can rub onto hands or neighbouring hats. Check finished production samples rather than accepting artwork approval as approval of the whole product.

Nested cones can become wedged together or crushed in transit, while damp packing can leave crowns stuck or distorted. Agree the packing arrangement with physical samples and inspect hats from inside the cartons on arrival.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For own-brand ranges, see sourcing for brands.